Czech Republic: simplified trading conditions

Czech Republic

From 1 July 2008, it will become easier to carry on business in the Czech Republic.

Changes introduced by the Trades Licensing Act will greatly simplify the conditions for business activities and include:

  • replacing trade licences (živnostenský list) and licence deeds (koncesní listina) with a single document: an extract from the Trades Licensing Register
  • replacing 80 free trades with a single trade and requiring entrepreneurs to identify their lines of business within that trade
  • reducing the levels of work experience and/or qualifications required for most trades to obtain a trade certificate
  • relaxing the requirements for certifying that entrepreneurs have no criminal record
  • allowing entrepreneurs to use any Trades Licensing Office in the Czech Republic for notification of trades or other requirements (previously, this could only be done at their permanent address, registered office or place of business)
  • reducing the period for issuing a trade certificate from 15 to 5 days

Current trade certificates will remain valid until the entrepreneur applies for a new extract from the Trades Licensing Register or until he/she notifies a change.

Law: Trades Licensing Act No. 455/1991 Coll., Act No. 130/2008 amending the Trades Licensing Act